THE CONGRESS Friday released CCTV footage of James Plaza Hotel in which Haryana Assistant Advocate-General (AAG), Gaurav Goyal, a BJP member, along with other BJP youth wing leaders, are purportedly seen ransacking the hotel’s property last month.

The Congress demanded an inquiry into the matter by judge of Punjab and Haryana High court. For not paying back a loan of Rs 103 crore to the Punjab National Bank, the United Bank of India and Assets Reconstruction Company of India, the authorities had come to take the physical possession of the hotel on August 27 along with police personnel.

The Congress released the footage showing BJP youth leaders entering the hotel premises and ‘manhandling’ the hotel staff. They were also seen taking away eatables from the hotel.

Alleging that the BJP leaders did this at the behest of a senior BJP leader from Chandigarh who wants to take the hotel on a lesser rates by getting a re-auction done, city Congress chief Pardeep Chhabra said, “They forcibly entered the hotel, manhandled the staff.”

Chhabra showed a CCTV grab of the AAG’s car wherein chocolates, milk and juice packets and other eatable items taken from the hotel were allegedly stashed.

Gaurav Goyal said, “The food items in the car were planted. Will a person who has a car worth Rs 10 lakh take chocolates worth Rs 50? I fail to understand why the Congress sympathetic is with a defaulter who has to pay Rs 103 crore.”

Showing a grab of BJP Youth leader Amit Rana, a Congress leader said, “He is the BJP youth wing president? What was he doing there?”

Amit Rana told Chandigarh Newsline that the Congress was pulling a stunt ahead of the municipal elections.

City BJP chief Sanjay Tandon said, “The Congress is trying to divert public attention. I had already sought an explanation of both of them and nothing objectionable was found.”

Later in the day, both Gaurav Goyal and Amit Rana issued statements. “All the allegations levelled are baseless and we will take legal recourse,” it read.